Smoked brisket

[colonelbuckrobely]

Wish you all could have been here this past weekend. I smoked an 8.33 lb. brisket which had a nice fat cap. Of course it was smoked in my Cookshack, which is an electric smoker (the best one made). I also threw one piece of charcoal into the smoke box along with three ounces of hickory. The charcoal helps it get a smoke ring. It turned out so well. We accompanied it with a cucumber, sour cream and fresh dill salad. The cukes were from the garden. We have been nibbling on the leftovers all week.

Has anyone else been doing some smoking and/or grilling that we should know about? Any new recipes that you have tried recently would also be appreciated.

[hasset]

What model of Cookshack do you have? We have an electric smoker but it is a cheap simple one and we want to get one where we have more control of the temperature. Yours sounds wonderful. I looked at the smokers and they looked like they were plenty expensive so I want to get one that is good but not too expensive. What one do you have and I suppose you recommend it.

[colonelbuckrobely]

I have had a Cookshack Smokette for nine years now. It is still going strong. They are made in the U.S. (Ponca City, Oklahoma). It is small but weighs a ton and is perfectly suitable for eight people or less. I am not even sure of the cost at this point. I believe I paid approx. $400. Best of all it is so well insulated so that it doesn't matter if it is 90 out or 30 below, the cooking times are the same. Grizzlies restaurants use a larger commercial version of a Cookshack smoker. So do many other restaurants. Review this site and then ask me whatever you want.

www.cookshack.com

[hasset]

They cost a lot more now but the cheapest one does not have a meat thermometer. How important is it to have one of those? I have one for my microwave and I never have used it and I don't even use one for my oven. Since they are low heat and slow cooking, I would not think it would really matter. My crock pot always does a good job without me ever having to stick a thermometer into the meat. I cooked two pork shoulders in my crock pot today and they were just as completely cooked as when I only cook one for the same amount of time. What do you think?

[colonelbuckrobely]

I used to use a digital thermometer on pork butts and brisket. You just shove it through the smoke hole and insert it half way into the meat. At this point I know my Cookshack so well that I never use a thermometer. I can count on baby back ribs being done in four and one half hours. With brisket and pork butts I allow two hours per pound. Smoken Okie suggests one and one half hour per pound but every unit is different. If you decide to purchase one I will help you all I can. The one thing I do know is that if you keep opening the door to your unit it dramatically extends the smoking time.

While the Cookshack was expensive I have used it hundreds of times. I had some less than favorable results when I first started but practice makes perfect. Several years ago Donna's son took us to a highly rated rib joint in downtown Minneapolis. Donna commented immediately that ours at home were ten times better and much cheaper.

The Cookshack forum is so helpful for people who smoke. I still use it now and again as a refresher. They are so lucky, Smoken Okie donates his time because of his love of smoking. I met him in Brainerd five or six years ago and he is a wonderful person. In addition to his passion he served in the Air Force for 20 years.

forum.cookshack.com/eve/forums

If you go to the "Open Forum" there is a wealth of information.

You might be able to get by with your electric smoker with just a little help. If it still works well, why change. You can ask whatever you want and I will try to help.

[hasset]

My present smoker works well unless the temperature is really cold outside. It is not insulated like yours. Actually, I don't use it in the winter time anyway so you are so right about making it do well for my needs and not investing in another one. I use my other grills in the winter time but I put them in a porch or garage where I can have protection from the wind. They are electric too. It takes longer to cook a burger but it works very well. I don't keep gas nearby and I have the grills by the door or open windows.

One time we were talking about buns and how it was hard to find any good ones. I saw something new in the store and tried it and think it is really good. It is a thin but firm bun made by "Arnold Select" and they are called sandwich thins. The thing I complained about buns is that when you put sauces (mayo, catsup, etc.) in them, they soak up the sauce because the buns have the texture of cake. They get soggy and fall apart. These new buns are very firm and are more like they have been compressed to be thin. You lightly toast them and then make a sandwich like pulled pork or BLTs and they work really well at holding together. You taste more of the meat than the bun. I will buy them again.